Video: Celebrating diversity during the holiday season

Allendale Columbia recently held its annual holiday breakfast to honor the multitude of religious celebrations that take place during the year.

Bryan Roth

The winter holiday season may be coming to a close, but for many, the virtues and ideals of this time of year are a year-round celebration.

That’s why parents and students gathered Dec. 14 at Allendale Columbia to celebrate not just Christmas and Hanukkah, but also Vesak and Diwali too. Hundreds of people came together for the school’s annual holiday breakfast and assembly, which featured presentations highlighting the diversity of the student body and the traditions of the season.

“We cannot be individuals, we have to be people of one ... humanity,” said George Dardess, a former English teacher at the school. “We have to appeal to the spirit within that has love for all things.”

Dardess, a deacon at the Blessed Sacrament parish in Rochester and a member of both the Muslim-Catholic Alliance and the Commission on Muslim-Christian Relations in Rochester, said that events like the one at Allendale Columbia are important because they help to promote tolerance and understanding for different cultures and beliefs.

While lower school students entertained with musical performances of songs like “Up on the Housetop” and “Must Be Santa,” other students gave presentations to the crowd about their respective religious holidays celebrated either in December or at other points throughout the year. Vesak, a Buddhist holiday, is typically held in May and celebrates the birth of Buddha, the founder of the religion. Diwali, a Hindu celebration, took place in November and commemorates the victory of good over evil in people.

“We are all living under one sun and one moon and we’re all part of the same community,” said LeRoy resident Nancy Baker, pointing out the importance of understanding and celebrating diversity.

Akira Stata, a senior at Allendale Columbia, echoed Baker’s feelings, adding that the annual breakfast is important because of the many different backgrounds of the school’s students and celebrating all the year’s holidays in a small way promotes open-mindness.

Mike Brown, a Pittsford resident, said that he always likes to see the school’s young children perform, but the purpose of the event is deeper than that.

“It just brings unity to the school and all the people that attend school here from many different cultures,” he said.

Bryan Roth can be reached at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 270, or at broth@mpnewspapers.com.